filibuster

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a legislator who gives long speeches in an effort to delay or obstruct legislation that he (or she) opposes
  2. noun (law) a tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches
  3. verb obstruct deliberately by delaying

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish filibustero (“pirate”), from French flibustier, ultimately from Dutch vrijbuiter (“freebooter”), from vrij (“free”) + buit (“booty”) + -er (“agent”). The alteration in the first syllable in French is due to the word's being somewhat conflated with vlieboot (“light, flat-bottomed cargo vessel with two or three masts”) when it was borrowed into French or another language from Dutch. The word is cognate and analogous to English freebooter.

In classic literature

Synonyms

filibusterer

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